St. Paul daily globe., 1887-08-22
MARY ANDERsON's GHOST.
Her Strange Experience While a
GuoSf ond

Her Strange Experience While
Guest of Lord and Lady Lytton.
One of the most authenticated of mod
ern ghost stories that have ever heard
was told me lately by an English lady,
who had it from the lips of the heroine
of the adventure, the fair and famous
American actress, Mary Anderson. at
one time during former visit to Eng
land Miss Anderson was invited to pay
visit to Lord and Lady LyttOn the
former best known as Owen Meredlth),
who were then at the ancestral seat of
the Bulwers, the well known manor of
KnebwOrth. The fair actress was a
great favorite with the host and
hostess, and had more than once before
been their guest at their historical cOun-
try home, certain apartment there
called the White and Gold room having
been placed at her disposal. On her az
rival on this last occasion another apart
ment was allotted to her, her usual quar-
terS having been taken by an earlier
conner. Her new room was equally
spacious and handsome, though some
what gloomy on account of the massive
antique furniture, while large picture
of Queen Elizabeth, evidently con-
temporary likeness, hung upon the
walls, and its faded hues and imperiOuS
aspect lent an impression of weird mys-
terry to the surroundings. But these
ideas only occurred to Miss Anderson
after the incident / am about to relate.
She found her room on first entering 1T
very pleasant, and every arrangement
had been made for her comfort, her maid
having been installed in small room
just beside her own and communicating
with it by door.
Miss Anderson arrived in the after
noon. Dinner was served at O'Clock,
and the evening passed off in a very
agreeable manner. No ghost stories
were told, the conversation taking an
animated and merry tone, and the party
did not separate till near o'clock, 80
you see," remarked Miss Anderson,
parenthetically, when she first narrated
the history, sit is not at all likely that
| could have been suffering from indi-
gestion." She retired to rest, the door
between her bedroom and that of her
maid being wide open, and that lead
ing to the corridor having been securely
bolted. No sooner had Miss Anderson
blown out the light and laid her head
on the pillow than she became conscious
of singular and unpleasant change in
the atmosphere of the room, which be-
came at once intensly cold and damp
and overwhelmingly oppressive,
spirabIe. 81 could compare it." she
afterward said, ito nothing except a
blanket saturated with iced water, and
pressing upon my mouth and nOStrilS so
as almost to stop my breath" She tried
to cry out, but strength and power of
speech seemed to have alike forSaken
her. Then she became aware of some
thing clutching at the bedclotheS;
strong grasp fastened at intervals on
the cOverletS and blankets she had
drawn over her. In the extremity of
her alarm she contrived by putting
forth all her strength to raise herself in
hands, and she was instantly dashed
back against the headbOard of her bed
by fierce grasp fastened on her neck
and shoulders. During this mute and
terrible struggle Miss Anderson could
see light in her maids room flashing
up and going out, this process being re-
peated several times. She tried in vain
to reach her own matchbox, which
was placed beside her bed; but
failing in that attempt she finally
broke loose from the hold of her invisi-
BILE prosecutor and sprang from the bed,
uttering fearful shrek. Her maid in
stantly rushed into the room, ,exclaiming
in terror: 80, Miss Mary, did you see
it?'' ''See what?" asked Miss Ander-
son, in renewed alarm. ''SOmething-I
cannot tell what-that caught me by the
throat and tried to choke me as soon as
/ got into bed" On comparing their
experiences the mistress and the maid
found that they had suffered in precise
ly the same manner, but the latter had
cOntrived to get hold of the match box.
''But every time that | struck match,
Miss Mary" added the frightened girl,
something would blow it out" The two
terrified girls lighted their lamps and
sat down together on Miss Anderson's
bed, wrapped in blankets, to await the
dawn OF day, first having investigated
the faStenings of the outer doors of their
rooms and having found them secure
and in good order.
As soon as it was light they dressed
themselves and went down stairs, eX-
citing great deal of attention and COM
ment ON the part of the early riSerS
among the servants by their extreme
paleneSS and evidentagitatiOn. Finally
the hOusekeeper came to ask Miss An
dersOn if anything was the matter, and
the first exclamation of that functiOnary
on hearing her story was: "What-
again?" This remark she tried to eX-
plain away, assuring Miss Anderson
that she must have been suffering from
nightmare, though she failed to account
for the fact that this dreadful form of
nightmare had attacked both the mis-
tress and the maid at the same mo-